When do you think people will finally start to understand atheism?

Alright, so a couple of days ago I was talking to a friend of mine in class. And we began to talk about religion. Now I'm far from the kind of person that likes to showcase my views on things, But I told him I was an Atheist. He Actually didn't believe me at first, and said that people have to take a oath to become an atheist. We literally argued about this for 5 whole minutes before I finally said lets go to an computer and get google the definition. after I showed him what atheism actually is, He still retained doubt. I just said forget it, and ended the conversation on it there.

What I'm asking is how long will people remain that ignorant on atheism. It's not like he's dumb when it comes to other topics. He says He's a christian and he never even read the bible. And when I told him and another friend I read it They Laughed. Oh yeah and I forgot to mention one of the guys laughing has a tattoo that says "blessed" on his chest. And he never read the bible. That's just stupid to me, But I kinda want to know what other people think about this.

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posted earlier on this site --but just in case you missed it. send it on to your "friend in Jesus"

commandment 0: thou shalt abase thyself

• xians demand individual, public confession of dogma.

You must publicly "proclaim” your faith. Due to xian influence, western ideologies do not consider their adherents true believers without a public admission of adherence -- “confessions”, oaths, affirmations, manifestos, slogans, banners, songs.

Fundies cannot interpret the world and human action except through their indoctrinated, lying mindset. The atheist therefore at some time must have “publicly confessed” atheism, as if atheism were another belief structure with its own dogma to confess openly.

As "a self-proclaimed atheist", you are worse than a heretic. After all, damned heretics at least believe in some god. Heretics are those who do not or will not believe what a dominant and politicly powerful in-group thinks true.

• xians hate “heresy” out of a desire of secular power

For more than 300 years xianity remained an almost amusing tinpot warfare among orthodox, gnostics, libertine free sex adherents, ascetic monks. Heretical scriptures can still be found -- in The Other Bible. (Search ISBN: 0060815981)

After roman emperor Constantine converted to arian xianity (another heresy!) in 312 CE, xians became heirs to vast secular influence and later to totalitarian rule in Byzantium ca 400 CE. Orthodox bishops prepared for takeover by getting together to throw away (and later burn) all writings that did not conform. As a result only 27 orthodox books of a so-called “new testament” passed the sniff test of theological purity.

But that was not enough. No heretic shall escape by hiding among true believers

• public confession of faith-based mandates

At a council in 325 CE at Nicaea (Iznik, Turkey) those same divinely inspired bishops produced a literal litany of faith-based affirmations which only an orthodox xian could find acceptable.Their nicene creed is still in force today. Despite hatred for catholicism, protestant fundies dare not reject its most ancient core dogmas -- one god in three persons, incarnated in Jesus, his return from the dead, levitating into heaven, church based salvation cult, Christ’s curtain call judgement day, eternal blessing or eternal suffering doled out to everyone…death cult.

Moreover an affirmation of faith must be said out loud as part of every obsessive compulsive cult ritual by every “member” at every service in the sight of “God” and, of course, in the distinct hearing of one’s dear fellow xians, watched over by god-proxies, priests.

Xians, therefore, do you “honour” by imagining that you are somewhat like them! You may be a very damnable atheist but even you must have made a profession of faith -- “publicly confessing” your newly acquired “godma”. Do you not feel blessed?

Your friend at least is now less ignorant about atheism than he was. I hope his learning curve doesn't top off there and falls back to baseline. Hope he will one day decide to read the Bible too and laugh for the right reasons.

Never. Why should they? They are comfortable thinking that The Big Guy In The Sky will give them eternal life and maybe even a bunch of virgins if they are Muslims (God has a virgin mill in Heaven just for Muslims). All they have to do is follow The Ten Commandments, asking for forgiveness if they fail to do so. It's a good plan.

Here we go with the ad hominem. Leader? Where did that come from? To state an opinion now makes one a leader? I feel just fine. Why would you think I feel otherwise? Simply because you insulted me? My ego is big enough to handle that, certainly.

Here's an idea: If you feel I'm wrong, why not simply depend on your counter arguments?

I don't think a few leaders are going to eliminate the attraction of religion to most people. it's as simple as that. There's my argument. Now, instead of going ad hominem, I expect you to have a reply to that. If you have one. if you don't, go away.

I find that even some of the J.W.'s and Mormons who come to my door on Saturday mornings have not themselves read the Bible, and they seem a little taken aback that I, an outspoken atheist, have read it cover to cover. In fact, I re-read the Book of Genesis every now and then for a good laugh. I remember asking a couple of J.W.'s once what they thought about all the death and destruction depicted in the Pentateuch. They asked me, "What is the Pentateuch?" With barely concealed glee, I explained to them that it is the term that describes the first 5 books of the Old Testament, in which God establishes his creds as a vengeful, jealous, genocidal megalomaniac (It makes one wonder how it was that His "son" turned out to be such a gentle, generous, self-sacrificing milquetoast; that's one acorn that fell far from the oak).

For most religionists, their beliefs are not formed out of thoughtful reflection, but the result of their having been indoctrinated as credulous children. Included in their early training is the assumption that "atheism" and "evil" are synonymous terms. At the outset of any debate I have with Christians I always make sure they know that I am not only an atheist, but a proud one; that I am proud that I choose to base my decisions in life on reason and evidence, not childish superstition.